Robert Yanders - The Evolution

The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Robert Yanders is unveiling a new program to turn the basketball world upside down.

Already three or four years in the making, Rob Yanders’ Evolution is a basketball program like no other. Throughout his own personal evolution through the sport, he has acquired the knowledge and expertise to put together an on-and-off-court curriculum that can benefit anyone around the sport of basketball.

Yanders’ personal journey has played an important part in the creation of this program. So, in conjunction with the curriculum and all else that will be included in The Evolution, Rob will be putting out a documentary from his time on the court and off. From the Salvation Army court to four European Championships, from the streets to moving his Mom in next door in a million-dollar home, you are going to want to see this.

The heart of The Evolution is the curriculum. There are on-court drills such as the one Rob previewed on his Instagram below:

With numerous drills that can greatly benefit trainers, coaches, and players alike, there is already an absurd amount of beneficial content within The Evolution. It doesn’t stop there though, with off-court curriculum to benefit players as well.

There are multiple facets to the off-court curriculum and Rob has included so much detail that we can’t possibly unpack it all here. In a nutshell, the off-court lessons will be conveyed in a computer format; individuals will be able to click around the various sections of the curriculum to expand on topics and ideas presented.

Some examples of off-court topics are: who is in your circle, urgency, putting in the “unrequired” work, preparation, being intentional, and more.

The Evolution will provide great benefits for coaches and trainers. The benefits can be passed along to players, or players can access The Evolution directly. This program is designed to aid everyone around the world of hoops. For that reason, there is even going to be a piece included for parents of athletes as well.

Rob has included a section in The Evolution that revolves around the concept of a basketball “midwife.” This portion is all about what parents of athletes can do to help their children succeed while accepting assistance and guidance from trained hoops professionals.

Check out more details below in the latest Vibin Session, where Writer Wil Harrington asks Rob to dish on as many details as he can regarding this exciting new program:

As Rob mentions in the video, The Evolution will be dropping sometime next month, so keep an eye out for upcoming details and announcements. The Basketball Movement is well known as a premier hoops training facility in the Midwest and Coach Rob is one of the top trainers in the nation. You don’t want to miss this impressive package if you are an individual fortunate enough to be involved with the game. Stay tuned!

MaxPreps previews several national top players

With high school hoops ramping up, we examine MaxPreps’ picks for top players in the nation at each position.

Thousands and thousands of high school players suit up each basketball season. Many of them are pretty darn good. To stand out in such a sea of athletes is not easy, yet every year, players rise to the top. MaxPreps is one of the authorities in high school sports, and they sift through these athletes to bring us many of the top guards, wings, and bigs in the country.

Many of these players will meet or beat expectations. Each season, many new names will rise up to overshadow some of these guys. But for now, here is MaxPreps top players coming into a big boys prep season:

Guards:

  1. Sharife Cooper (McEachern)

  2. Cade Cunningham (Montverde Academy)

  3. Jalen Green (Prolific Prep)

  4. Cam Thomas (Oak Hill Academy)

  5. Jaden Springer (IMG Academy)

  6. Brandon Boston Jr. (Sierra Canyon)

  7. Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy)

  8. Josh Christopher (Mayfair)

  9. Reece Beekman (Scotlandville)

  10. Andre Curbelo (Long Island Lutheran)

Wings

  1. Jalen Johnson (IMG Academy)

  2. Emoni Bates (Lincoln)

  3. Jonathan Kuminga (Patrick School)

  4. Scottie Barnes (Montverde Academy)

  5. Ziaire Williams (Sierra Canyon)

  6. Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Hamilton)

  7. A.J. Griffin (Archbisop Stepinac)

  8. Marjon Beauchamp (Dream City Christian)

  9. Earl Timberlake Jr. (DeMatha)

  10. Aminu Mohammad (Greenwood)

Bigs

  1. Paolo Banchero (O’Dea)

  2. Evan Mobely (Rancho Christian)

  3. Day’Ron Sharpe (Montverde Academy)

  4. Greg Brown III (Vandegrift)

  5. Chet Holmgran (Minnehaha Academy)

  6. Isaiah Todd (Word of God Christian Academy)

  7. Walker Kessler (Woodward Academy)

  8. Mark Williams (IMG Academy)

  9. Jalen Duren (Roman Catholic)

  10. Cliff Omoruyi (Roselle Catholic)

These players should be fun to watch this season, but again, there are many more diamonds in the rough out there too that we will be hearing about soon. As always, it should be an exciting season for high school hoops.

Stay with us as we bring more local and national coverage of high school hoops in addition to NCAA updates and our Around the NBA series.

Tips: Ignoring the noise

At every level of the game, there will be plenty of outside noise that you must learn to tune out.

When we say tuning out the noise, that is meant to be taken both literally and figuratively. There will be literal noise in the form of opponents jawing at you, harsh words from the stands, and encouragement. The figurative noise can come in many forms: online chatter, the media (for the higher tiers of the sport), and other off-court words from teammates, peers, and more.

For any players worth his or her salt, the literal noise is much easier to tune out. When on the court, locking in and focusing on the task at hand should be fairly natural.

That said, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded to not get sucked into the pettiness of on-court chatter. You have no business getting dragged into chatting with your opponents. Focus on yourself and your team. When the chatter is coming from fans, you have even less business engaging the crowd. Just allow the crowd to be white noise. You will still be able to register the roar when your team is doing well at home or relish in the silence that comes with success on the road. Even words of encouragement, which are definitely not a bad thing, can be a bit distracting. Just focus on the game and wait until the end for your pats on the back.

Keep an ear open for your coach and teammates. Their words are the only ones you must focus on. Any other noise during a game is just that - noise.

Off the court, you don’t have the heat of the moment to distract you. You may be told you’re no good. You may be told you’re the best. You may be told your shot is ugly. You may hear your team is going to win it all. It is nearly impossible to tune out all of the outside noise you will hear over your playing career.

While you may not be able to control what you hear, you will always be in control of what comes next. Do you worry about how your shot looks? Do you hang your head or puff your chest? The thing to do is to remember that you are the only one that can control your destiny on the court. Do you, only take advice from those you trust the most, and focus on doing whatever it takes to improve and help your team.

No one knows you and your game better than yourself. Control what you can control and let the flow of the game take care of the rest. Ignore the haters and make sure your circle consists of honest individuals that truly want to see you succeed.

The noise will always be there, but it is up to you to filter as much as possible and don’t let the rest affect your game. If you must hear it, use it as fuel as you pursue the path that YOU determine is best. Many of the top players have unique styles that probably garnered some hate more than once on their journey. The best thing you can do is trust yourself, work hard, and silence the noise with your play.

NCAA Rankings - College basketball is nearly back

With NCAA college basketball just over a week away, we dig into the men’s preseason rankings.

We always point out the triviality of preseason rankings, but that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss leading up to the tipoff of NCAA basketball! The first games of the season begin Tuesday, November 5th. No team has been quite as hyped this season as we saw Duke last year with their star freshman that have since departed for the NBA.

However, there is still plenty of buzz as always ahead of another exciting hoops season. It seems to be anyone’s race, at least for now. Vegas odds-makers like Gonzaga, while the AP and others see Michigan State as the favorite, having retained much of the roster that took them to the Final Four a season ago.

The season starts soon, but we are still a long way from March Madness. In the meantime, here are the AP top-25 rankings before seeing these squads in action:

1 - Michigan State

2 - Kentucky

3 - Kansas

4 - Duke

5 - Louisville

6 - Florida

7 - Maryland

8 - Gonzaga

9 - North Carolina

10 - Villanova

11 - Virginia

12 - Seton Hall

13 - Texas Tech

14 - Memphis

15 - Oregon

16 - Baylor

17 - Utah State

18 - Ohio State

19 - Xavier

20 - Saint Mary's (Cal)

21 - Arizona

22 - LSU

23 - Purdue

24 - Auburn

25 - VCU

Again, there is plenty to look forward to this season, and it begins early. The top four above teams will be meeting each other to open things up. November 6th, Michigan St. plays Kentucky and Duke plays Kansas in back-to-back games of the Champions Classic. The games will be played at Madison Square Garden and will be sure to start the season off with a bang.

Reigning champ Virginia is at number 11, having lost multiple starters. Memphis (number 14) will be an exciting team to keep an eye on if you are looking for the next big squad of talented young players.

Are any of the above teams ranked too high? Too low? Let us know here or start the discussion over on our social media pages as we all get pumped for the return of college hoops!

Around the NBA: 2019 season tipoff tonight

The 2019 NBA season tipoff is tonight - get your fantasy lineups set, get comfortable, and enjoy the show.

Though tonight is the official start of the 2019 NBA season, the fun really continues all week long with an impressive slate of games each day. A TNT double-header kicks things off at 7:00 PM Central starting with the defending champion Toronto Raptors taking on the young New Orleans Pelicans.

Without Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, the Raps will be a much different, but still entertaining team. Unfortunately, their opponents the Pelicans will be without star rookie Zion Williamson, who is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks after successful arthroscopic knee surgery. The Pelicans are to be featured again Friday in a matchup with Dallas, so it is a shame they are missing their biggest draw.

If nothing else, grab a coffee during the opening game so you can stay up for a premier matchup to follow at 9:30 PM Central. This one does feature Kawhi Leonard, in his new Los Angeles Clippers home, though he won’t be playing alongside fellow newcomer, Paul George. PG13 is expected to miss 10 to 20 games with a shoulder injury. Injuries suck.

Facing the Clippers is their Staples Center rival, the LA Lakers. LeBron James was a Laker last season, but expectations weren’t near as high as they are now that he is playing alongside Anthony Davis. With more specialists in place this year instead of a bizarre mix of Magic Johnson’s “playmakers,” Davis and James should be primed to push the Lakers to the top of the Western Conference standings.

Tomorrow night, we get a great game out of the East, with the Celtics traveling to Philly to face Joel Embiid, former teammate Al Horford, and Ben Simmons, who is projected to hit a few triples this season. Wild. The late game to come after features the stacked Nuggets and consistent firepower of the Portland Trailblazers. Look for our friends Monte Morris and Anthony Tolliver in that one!

Another TNT double-header is in store per usual on Thursday, highlighted by the reigning NBA MVP. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks will get a strong challenge early against the Houston Rockets. Finally, we will get a true glimpse of what the James Harden and Russell Westbrook tandem looks like. Only one thing is certain there, it’s going to be entertaining.

Following the Buck and Rockets, we get the Clippers again, who face another big test in the Golden State Warriors. No Durant, no Thompson (likely out for the regular season), no lofty expectations. However, it isn’t a stretch to think that Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and new acquisition D’Angelo Russell can’t still hang with the very best. It will be another highly intriguing game.

Lakers again Friday taking on the Jazz, a three-game slate Saturday that will bring first looks at Jimmy Butler’s Heat and RJ Barrett’s Knicks, and then Sunday to catch your breath. This is a good week.

The Basketball Movement loves… well you know. Basketball. The NBA is the highest level of the sport in the world. We are lucky to have worked with many of these guys and love working with others interested in taking the sport all the way to this level. It is a great opportunity for athletes of all ages to watch and learn what it takes to be the best. Also, it’s a helluva lot of fun.

We hope you tune in too! Drop by anytime to talk basketball, because you know we’ll be watching. Stay tuned here as well for coverage and be sure you’re following along on Twitter. Enjoy the season!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day Three

Day three of The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is all about the games - time to showcase what got these guys invited in the first place.

Starting with light stretching and shooting, today’s focus quickly turns to the games this morning. Day two was great; a full morning of drills and workouts culminated in a night of ferocious competition. Today should prove to be even better, as the teams fight to be the best.

Some extra incentive has been placed on these games by Rob Yanders, saying that the coach of the winning team will receive a nice little bonus… Hey, if you don’t perform in the real world and come together, unfortunately, coaches don’t always get to stick around long. This is a fun little twist that puts a competitive spin on things for all involved.

Check out the below, as Yanders highlighted some of the top performers from last night in our NBA Division:

If you couldn’t make it out last night, we highly recommend catching some of the games this morning, which are slated to run consecutively until around noon (EDIT: STRETCHING AND WARMUPS STARTED AROUND 9:00 AM, SO THE GAMES WILL BE BUMPED APPROX. AN HOUR BACK FROM THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE). Once again: These games are open to the public! We highly recommend this to any area fan of HS basketball. Think Bass Pro Tournament of Champions with evenly distributed talent, an urban atmosphere, and blue-color work ethic and intensity. Just be here. See for yourself.

At the time this is being written, there are still a few more courtside, luxury leather seats available, first-come-first-served!

We’ll be coming at you with highlights and a weekend recap that will have Rob Yanders selections for his All-Camp guys. Stay tuned and hopefully, we see you soon!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day Two

On the first day of The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp, we should have known better than to tell you to wait for day two for competitive fire.

Alright, alright, so the “getting to know you” portion of day one lasted about 30 minutes and the ferocious competition may have started a bit earlier than normal. That may or may not have been intentional on the part of Rob Yanders, whose opening remarks for the camp included the question “Who you got beef with? Who do you want to go at?” This was adamantly answered by a few camp-goers, who got their wish in the form of some king of the court after warmups.

This set the tone for not just the rest of the night, but the rest of the camp. Everyone got in on 1v1, 3v3, and some 4v4 king of the court, an impromptu “show your stuff” dunk free-for-all broke out, and we started several in-camp rivalries already.

If night one was any indication, day two is going to be tuff.

The morning portion will consist of warmups and stretching, followed by positional station work and drills on the court. Lunch is going to be provided at the gym for the players and a guest speaker will be joining us right after.

Things have been moved up a bit from our schedule released a few days ago.

Teams and game times for the evening games will be posted at 4:00 and then games will be played on both courts simultaneously on the hour the rest of the night starting at 5:00 and wrapping things up between 9:00 and 10:00 pm. These games are open to the public, so feel free to stop by at any point! We have luxury leather seating courtside and bleachers for overflow.

So far so good for heated action as usual at The Basketball Movement. The competition is already at the level we were hoping for and it will only go up from here. These are going to be fierce games between high-level competitors, so we highly recommend you make it out if you are a basketball fan. We are sporting talent from all over the country, plenty from St. Louis, and a good amount of local talent from the Springfield-metro area, so come out and support your hometown guys!

Keep it locked to our social media channels, primarily Twitter and Instagram to stay on top of the action throughout the day. Hope to see you tonight!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day One

The time has finally come for The Basketball Movement Invitational. Tonight is day one, where we start focusing nervous energy into focus and determination.

At The Basketball Movement Invitational, day one is all about setting expectations, making the players feel special, and honing in on what will be an intense weekend. Once the expectations are set and the focus is at laser level, the spark will ignite the competitive fire that the next couple of days will be all about.

The players are getting hooked up with gear, getting professional headshots, hearing opening remarks from The Basketball Movement’s FOunder and Lead Trainer Rob Yanders, and then doing some light stretching and shooting. The players will get a takeaway dinner at the conclusion of the night.

As this is being written, the players are lined up for their pictures. Taping stations have been set up and those players that need them are utilizing them before we hit the floor. Music is pumping, there are plenty of introductions being made, and everyone is anxiously anticipating the official start to the weekend of basketball.

The nervous energy will fade fast, as these are already established players that know exactly what to do when they hit the court. Our drills and stations won’t be so much for teaching new concepts as sharpening existing skills and making sure that bad habits aren’t lingering in anyone’s fundamentals.

Tonight will be good for meeting new people but come tomorrow night, they will be broken up into teams and clash in a big way.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and right here as we keep you up to date on one of the biggest camps and showcases in the area for high school boys’ talent.

The Basketball Movement Invitational schedule

The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is finally here - check out the schedule of events to make sure and keep up with the action.

Finally upon us, The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is underway Friday the fourth and will run through the weekend. As we have mentioned, there will be traditional camp elements as far as skill development, conditioning, etc. but also a showcase of the elite talent possessed by the young men.

Games will be taking place Saturday night and Sunday morning. These games are open to the public - if you want to see top-tier high school boys basketball in action, we have you more than covered.

There are courtside, leather seats available on a first-come-first-served basis. Remember to please respect the facility during your visit - no stepping on the courts without basketball-exclusive shoes, keep your feet off the chairs, and so on. Thank you!

Here is the schedule of events for our campers:

EDIT: THINGS HAVE BEEN BUMPED UP AN HOUR FOR DAY 2. BREAK FOR LUNCH IS 11:00, PLAYERS WILL RETURN FOR TEAM LISTING AT 4:00 AND GAMES WILL START AT 5:00 PM

IMG_6589.jpg

This event gets bigger and better each year, so make sure to stop by to get in on the action. If nothing else, just drop in to say hey and check out everything we have been doing with the facility. We are proud of what The Basketball Movement has been doing and love that you are along for the ride. We hope to see you this weekend!

Around the NBA: 2019-20 Preview

Already less than a month away, it is time to start the annual tradition of not-so-patiently waiting for the NBA season.

As per the new norm, it has been a wild offseason for the NBA. Somehow, the 2019-20 regular season is already less than a month out, with tipoff taking place October 22nd. Now that your calendar is marked, it is time to start the speculation as to how the season ahead will shake out for each of the 30 NBA teams and their endlessly entertaining casts of characters.

The Basketball Movement already broke down the major offseason moves for you, so we don’t need to go over every detail of which player went to which new team. That said, the player movement is the most interesting piece of the NBA landscape for the upcoming 2019-20 season, so it is woven throughout this preview. We’ll start with the Western Conference and reigning NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.

Western Conference

Kawhi was ninth in MVP voting for the regular season, but let the world know he is one of the greatest in the Playoffs. As Toronto feared, they lost him in the offseason, but not to a loaded roster as we have seen with so many stars recently. Leonard joined a solid if unspectacular Los Angeles Clippers team, instantly propelling them to contender status. Pushing them over the edge though, was a trade that sent Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and picks away for OKC Thunder forward, Paul George.

The Clips became instant favorites for a top-two finish in the West and will have an elite defense to complement a solid offensive attack. They will be a force in the West, but won’t have to look far for stiff competition, as the LA Lakers made some moves of their own.

Retaining Kyle Kuzma and a guy named LeBron James for their core, the Lakers shipped the rest of their young cast to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis. If James continues to hold up and Davis stays healthy, they have the potential to be an all-time-great tandem.

Those young players headed to the Pelicans (Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart) will join more than just former All-Star Jrue Holiday, but this year’s number one draft pick. Zion Williamson enters the league as perhaps the most touted prospect since King James. The expectations are monumental, but if he can stay in shape and his knees can withstand a year of constant ferocious dunks, he may very well meet them.

After trading away Paul George, Oklahoma City knew it was time to shift into a rebuilding phase. Russell Westbrook, after being drafted by Seattle and spending his whole career in OKC, was traded to Houston, reuniting him with former Thunder buddy and MVP hopeful, James Harden. The deal included Chris Paul, who is still currently in Oklahoma City, though the fit is curious for OKC’s new direction. It will be interesting to see if Paul and Gallinari are still in Thunder blue by the start of 2020.

Though a shakeup in standings may be coming, we have no reason to doubt the Western Conference will still feature a fantastic Golden State Warriors squad. Though they traded away an incredible player in Kevin Durant, they did receive an Eastern Conference All-Star in return in D’Angelo Russell, who will look to fill big shoes as Klay Thompson recovers from his Finals injury. Aside from Russell and Thompson, the Warriors still have two more All-Stars in Draymond Green and Steph Curry, who will likely be looking at an MVP-caliber season as the top dog once again. Do not count out these Warriors.

No strangers to the NBA Playoffs, but coming in with even more firepower this season, look for the Utah Jazz to make plenty of noise during their quest for a title. Subtle offseason additions of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdonović should act as fantastic complements to their core of 2x DPOY Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Joe Ingles.

A few teams with quiet offseasons in the West that should nevertheless return strong years are the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, and ever-present San Antonio Spurs. The West is as deep as it has been in a while and should have plenty of wins floating around the bottom of the bracket as well between the Kings, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Mavericks, which now have Kristaps Porzingis back to pair with Luca Doncic. Phoenix will not be a good basketball team. Sorry, Phoenix.

Eastern Conference

Much as Kawhi Leonard changes the landscape of the Western Conference, so does he change the East. The reigning NBA Champion Toronto Raptors will be a much different team without their Finals MVP and two-way superstar. With the rest of their core intact (Lowry, Gasol, Siakam, Ibaka, VanVleet) and solid additions in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson (if he finally takes a step forward), they will be a playoff team. Whether or not they can be a contender again hinges on the continued development of last year’s Most improved Player, Pascal Siakam, who is now “the guy.”

Speaking of “the guy,” the Eastern Conference does still boast the reigning league MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Milwaukee Bucks also retained All-Star Kris Middleton and former All-Star Brook Lopez, though they did have to see Malcolm Brogdon walk. Offseason acquisitions, Robin Lopez and Thanasis Antetokounmpo mean the Bucks will sport two sets of brothers on their roster. That probably won’t have much on-court relevance, but it will be an interesting tidbit to tell your spouse while you try to keep them interested.

We already mentioned the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Warriors, so Kevin Durant is now officially in the Eastern Conference for the first time with the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately, Durant is injured and likely to miss this full season. He signed in Brooklyn not long after Kyrie Irving, who left a gaping, but short-lived hole in the roster of the Boston Celtics.

Clearly having planned ahead, the Celtics were quick to swoop up a free agent point guard of their own in Kemba Walker. Statistically, Walker is not much of a downgrade and they can still operate under a scoring point guard in their system. Kemba’s so-so defense can be compensated for by Marcus Smart and athletic wings, lessening the blow of losing the NBA Champion Irving.

More difficult to replace for the Celtics will be the post play of Al Horford, who departed for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. Horford will take pressure off the oft-injured Joel Embiid to stay on the floor, and give them another solid presence on both ends of the floor. The player movement doesn’t stop there, as the Sixers’ closer, Jimmy Butler left to be the top dog in Miami for the Heat.

Dwyane Wade is retired, but there have been hints that the door back is not completely closed. Whether he returns or not, this will be Jimmy Butler’s team. Butler, who had previously stated all he cares about is winning, will be looking at many fewer victories this season with his new, less talented squad.

The only team not mentioned so far that will look to take a notable step forward as a playoff contender is the Indiana Pacers with the return of Victor Oladipo, who was injured last season. There will be other improved organizations, though they will have plenty to prove before we can confidently look at them as legit playoff teams. One is the Atlanta Hawks with young guys like Trae Young, John Collins, and rookie Cam Reddish.

The Magic may be just good enough to manage another first-round exit; same with the Pistons. John Wall is not expected to be back this season for the Wizards, meaning they will remain a Bradley Beal show, likely right outside of the playoff race. The Bulls and Knicks enter the season with improved rosters (mostly a healthy Lauri Markkanen for Chicago and RJ Barrett for NY), but probably not enough to make a splash of any kind. The Cavaliers enter the season with a solid trade chip, Kevin Love, but not much else. Top-to-bottom, the Western Conference is back to being the powerhouse.

So many storylines unfold over the course of an NBA season. Will Westbrook and Harden gel? Will Durant or Klay make a surprise playoff return? What is the real reason behind Carmelo Anthony not being able to crack a 12 man roster? Jimmy Butler left Karl-Anthony Towns for being lazy and is now paired with Hassan Whiteside… what? Will LeBron and AD rule Los Angeles or will it be the Klaw and PG13?

We are excited for the action to begin and we can’t believe it is so close. The NBA hosts the most elite basketball in the world and if you can’t tell, The Basketball Movement is all about it. Good luck also to our good friends that are suiting up this season looking to make a splash on their teams or in the league as a whole. Show ‘em what you can do. We will be watching!

Team USA falters in FIBA World Cup

Already seen as one of the weakest international rosters in almost 20 years, team USA will be playing in the 7th place game of the FIBA World Cup.

Dropping an exhibition game to Spain was not shocking for the men of Team USA ahead of the FIBA World Cup. What the United States is certainly not used to, was losing in the tournament, which it did against France… and then Serbia as well.

Even including Jayson Tatum, who has missed the last four contests with an ankle sprain, Team USA’s roster was much lighter on star-power than usual for international showings. It is still a potent team, featuring explosive guards and solid young talent. However, their lack of cohesion and stagnant offensive stretches caught up with them as they fell in the first non-exhibition match in years against France. The USA had a 58 game win-streak prior to the loss.

Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert put on a clinic against the USA in the quarterfinals with 21 points, 16 boards, and three blocks, which came in clutch moments. The world has certainly caught up with the USA, especially when they don’t show up with their “A” team.

France features just two other NBA players in addition to Gobert in Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. Then, adding insult to injury, Team USA turned around and lost again, this time to Nikola Jokic and Serbia. They fell far behind early and never recovered. They are now set to play Poland in the 7th place game. Team USA will be heavy favorites in that one, but that apparently doesn’t mean much. This will be the worst-ever finish for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, win or lose.

France lost their following game, surprised by Argentina, which is doing well to remain relevant despite the retirement of star, Manu Ginobili. Argentina will face perennial contender Spain in the Final.

One interesting note is how the Utah Jazz have been represented in this tournament. Donovan Mitchell has been the scoring leader for Team USA, Rudy Gobert France’s driving force, Joe Ingles for a surprising Australia squad, and Ricky Rubio for Spain, though Ricky is now off to the Phoenix Suns.

It should be a good Final, but most fans are accustomed to seeing Team USA in contention. Perhaps Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics will produce a more competitive USA Men’s squad. We will see!

Notable NCAA coaching changes per ESPN.com

ESPN.com has tracked notable NCAA Men’s Basketball coaching changes made so far ahead of the 2019-20 season.

As always, there has been a slew of coaching changes made on the NCAA Men’s Basketball landscape ahead of the season. Unfortunately, coaching is viewed as a bit of a revolving-door occupation. If a school (or organization) deems that a coach isn’t leading in the direction desired for a team, they are often quickly dispatched.

This is true for all levels of the game. ESPN.com has released a list of coaching changes for big schools, which we have placed below. ESPN.com is responsible for all tracking and verbiage you see on this list. You can view the list in its original home, by viewing the page here. All team links remain intact and will also redirect you to ESPN.com pages.

Some highly recognizable names appear on this list, even on the “Out” side of things. A few of those are Avery Johnson (Alabama), John Beilein (Michigan), Chris Mullin (St. Johns), Mike Dunleavy Sr. (Tulane), Steve Alford (UCLA), and former Missouri State Coach Barry Hinson (Southern Illinois).

A few recognizable names taking new jobs: Juwan Howard (Michigan), Fred Hoiberg (Nebraska), Steve Alford (Nevada), and Lyndsey Hunter (Mississippi Valley State).

“Power Conferences”

School: Out / In

Alabama: Avery Johnson / Nate Oats
Arkansas: Mike Anderson / Eric Musselman
California: Wyking Jones / Mark Fox
Cincinnati: Mick Cronin / John Brannen
George Washington: Maurice Joseph / Jamion Christian
Michigan: John Beilein / Juwan Howard
Nebraska: Tim Miles / Fred Hoiberg
Nevada: Eric Musselman / Steve Alford
Saint Joseph's: Phil Martelli / Billy Lange
St. John's: Chris Mullin / Mike Anderson
Temple: Fran Dunphy / Aaron McKie
Texas A&M: Billy Kennedy / Buzz Williams
Tulane: Mike Dunleavy Sr. / Ron Hunter
UCLA: Steve Alford / Mick Cronin
UNLV: Marvin Menzies / T.J. Otzelberger
Vanderbilt: Bryce Drew / Jerry Stackhouse
Virginia Tech: Buzz Williams / Mike Young
Washington State: Ernie Kent / Kyle Smith

“Traditional one-bid” Conferences”

School: Out / In

Appalachian State: Jim Fox / Dustin Kerns
Belmont: Rick Byrd / Casey Alexander
Buffalo: Nate Oats / Jim Whitesell
BYU: Dave Rose / Mark Pope
Cal Poly: Joe Callero / John Smith
Cleveland State: Dennis Felton / Dennis Gates
Elon: Matt Matheny / Mike Schrage
Fairfield: Sydney Johnson / Jay Young
Georgia State: Ron Hunter / Rob Lanier
Holy Cross: Bill Carmody / Brett Nelson
Howard: Kevin Nickelberry / Kenny Blakeney
Idaho: Don Verlin / Zac Claus (interim)
IUPUI: Jason Gardner / Byron Rimm II (interim)
Idaho State: Bill Evans / Ryan Looney
Kennesaw State: Al Skinner / Amir Abdur-Rahim
Lipscomb: Casey Alexander / Lennie Acuff
Maryland-Eastern Shore: Clifford Reed Jr. (interim) / Jason Crafton
Mercer: Bob Hoffman / Greg Gary
Mississippi Valley State: Andre Payne / Lindsey Hunter
Montana State: Brian Fish / Danny Sprinkle
Morgan State: Todd Bozeman / Kevin Broadus
Niagara: Chris Casey / Patrick Beilein
North Dakota: Brian Jones / Paul Sather
Northern Arizona: Jack Murphy / Shane Burcar (interim)
Northern Kentucky: John Brannen / Darrin Horn
Ohio: Saul Phillips / Jeff Boals
Presbyterian: Dustin Kerns / Quinton Farrell
San Francisco: Kyle Smith / Todd Golden
Siena: Jamion Christian / Carmen Maciariello
South Dakota State: T.J. Otzelberger / Eric Henderson
Southeastern Louisiana: Jay Ladner / David Kiefer
Southern Illinois: Barry Hinson / Bryan Mullins
Southern Miss: Doc Sadler / Jay Ladner
SIU-Edwardsville: Jon Harris / Brian Barone
Stetson: Corey Williams / Donnie Jones
Stony Brook: Jeff Boals / Geno Ford
Tennessee Tech: Steve Payne / John Pelphrey
Troy: Phil Cunningham / Scott Cross
UMKC: Kareem Richardson / Billy Donlon
Utah Valley: Mark Pope / Mark Madsen
William & Mary: Tony Shaver / Dane Fischer
Wofford: Mike Young / Jay McAuley

Push limits with Rob Yanders and The Basketball Movement

What limits you from being the best player you can possibly be? The Basketball Movement can help you push those limits.

Every individual has limits, whether perceived or literal. A literal limit may be that you are considered undersized for the sport of basketball; you can’t change when you are done growing. A perceived limit is that your small stature means you can’t guard bigger players, get up for rebounds, and so on. Those are perceived limits because you can do something to change that. We can help.

“When they say you can’t, they show you their limits, not yours.”
— Kevin Keenoo

One of the biggest lessons that I (Site Blogger, @WilHarrington) learned growing up came on the basketball court. My teacher was Robert Yanders.

I’d been working out with Rob on and off for a year or so and was just 13 or 14 years old. I had started bringing a teammate along and it was definitely elevating our skill level. The breakthrough for me though was all about pushing limits and the power of mind over matter.

We were nearing the end of one of Rob’s trademark grueling workouts, got to shed our weighted vests, and got on the line to do some running. He wanted us to do a simple down-and-back, but put a very limited amount of time on the clock. He blew his whistle and my friend and I took off, touched the line to head back, and didn’t quite make it before the buzzer sounded.

We thought Rob was simply going to have us try again. However, he stepped over to the scorer’s table and took a second off the clock. Was this punishment? We lined up again, made our attempt… and missed the mark. We were completely exhausted at this point. What did Rob do? Let us grab a drink to come back and try again? Let us hit the restroom to vomit in peace? Of course, he took another second off the clock.

My friend and I never made eye contact, but we clearly had the same thought flash in our minds. “This guy is crazy. This is an all-out sprint because if we don’t do it this time, we’ll be doing this until we leave in wheelchairs.”

“Ready,” Rob shouted with his whistle in his mouth. “Go!”

Adrenaline propelled our tired legs and carried us like we were running for our lives. There was nothing but teeth-gritting, sweat flying, and the blur of two desperate white boys moving faster than they had ever moved. We went down and back, both touching the final baseline with a second or two to spare.

This lesson didn’t change the fact that I was five-foot-eight and just interested in playing the sport for fun. I never had NCAA aspirations or professional delusions. But what I learned that day shaped me as an athlete in general and as a person. It showed me that my limits were in my hands and I could push them as far as I wanted.

The confidence I gained from that day in the gym that would become The Basketball Movement helped me to push my high school self to two All-State baseball selections, contribute to a basketball team that took 3rd in state, be an All-District cross country runner (hell, even All-District choir for that matter), and the courage to date the girl that would become my wife.

That all may seem like a real leap to draw from a down-and-back run. Those who have trusted Rob Yanders to help them as I have can attest to what I’m saying though.

Assuming you are not already the best in the world, you must try to push your limits to see what you can really do. Not only on the court but in all aspects of life. For those interested - reach out. The Basketball Movement was built for this. We’re ready if you are.

Rob Yanders' first wave of Invitational players

With the date of The Basketball Movement Invitational drawing closer, Rob Yanders has put out his first 50 invitations

Primarily keeping things in-state to start, The Basketball Movement’s Rob Yanders has put out the first 50 names to be invited to the prestigious Invitational Camp. If you have been following along on our Instagram, you have already seen several local names dropping in. The list has recently been bolstered with some of the top talent in Missouri and beyond.

Big names are already on the board in this first 50 selection. Per Rob, a few of the biggest are: Patrick Baldwin (6’8” Hamilton High, WI) , Michael Foster Jr. (6’8” Hillcrest Prep, WI), Desmond Polk (6’4” La Lumiere, WI), Phillip Russell (5’10” Vashon High), Jordan Nesbitt (6’6” StL Christian Academy), Anton Brookshire (6’2” Kickapoo High), Rashad McDaniels (6’0” StL Christian Academy), and Kentucky commit Cam’Ron Fletcher (6’5” Vashon High).

The talent keeps going, with other notable players such as Luke Kasubke (6’5” Chaminade Prep), Ryan Kalkbrenner (7’0” Trinity Catholic High), Kobe Clark (6’4” Vashon High), Caleb Love (6’3” Christian Brothers College High), Rob Martin (5’9” Christian Brothers College High), Evan Guillory (6’2” Joplin High), Alex Martini (6’8” Carthage High), Quenton Shelton (6’2” Lebanon High), Dantae Taylor (6’1” Parkview High), and Isaac Haney (6’0” Dora High).

Rounding out the first 50 invitees are Austin Garrett, Anthony Green, Andrew McMillin, Bline Cline, Cameron Liggins, Carson Noel, Devon McMillin, Elijah Bridgers, Evan Mayse, Elijah Whitley, Grisham Aleshire, Jaiden Carrasqullo, Jadon Gilpin, Jason Jones, Jordan Kerr, Joshua Tate, Kamaren Bevel, Kaden Bruce, Kyke Flavin, Kanon Gipson, Kelby Stuckey, Logan Applegate, Lucas Kimbrough, Shawn Killion, Sergio McClain, Trevon Brazile, Ty Cooper, Tavari Eckwood, Tyler Harmon, Tyren Hendrix, and Zach Howell.

Sporting so much elite talent, the camp also acts as a showcase of sorts. SLAM, Ballislife, and more will be in attendance. Sponsors as of now are Nike, Eastbay, Spalding, Houlihan’s, Hilton Garden Inn, Guaranty Bank, Old Missouri Bank, and TLC Properties.

We know we have been all up in your feed with talk about The Basketball Movement Invitational. The thing is though, there is plenty to talk about! We count on our following being fans of basketball. If that is true and you are a fan of the sport at any level, you have to see this camp and you have to watch these young men in action.

It will have traditional camp elements such as skill development, maintenance, and enhancement. However, it will be ramped up beyond what most players may be used to. The drills will pit these elite talents against each other with the understanding that iron sharpens iron. Game situations and competitive opportunities will abound, making the whole thing a visual feast for basketball purists.

Remember to check back here and on our social media pages for the final 50 invites as well as more details on the 10.4-6-.19 event.

Who's who: The Basketball Movement Invitational names rolling out

Follow along with The Basketball Movement on Instagram as we announce players that will be playing at the Invitational Camp.

As we approach the 10.4-6.19 dates for The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp, more and more high school boys are being selected to participate. In addition to being a traditional camp, this will also be a showcase of sorts for elite talent. The player base will range from local names to players from all over the country.

The Basketball Movement is the prime location for an event of this caliber, as we have worked tirelessly to prepare the most professional facility we can while remaining urban and authentic at the same time.

A full list of players has yet to be completely established. However, you can follow along with The Basketball Movement on Instagram as we roll out the names there. The already impressive lineup will continue to grow over the next month.

Whether you are a participant or not, this camp will be a spectacle worth taking in. The camp will be based around competitive drills and aggressive play. An emphasis will be placed on game situations, so there will be plenty of scrimmage action that will be as impressive as you will find anywhere on the high school scene.

Remember to give us that follow on Instagram to keep up with the happenings. Then, make sure you are keeping up on Twitter and here as we bring you coverage of the event!

USA Men's Basketball Team rounding into shape

The watered-down USA Basketball Men's FIBA World Cup Team is trimmed to 13 players vying for the 12-man squad.

About to head to Australia for continued training, Team USA nearly has its final roster, though it may not be as impressive as usual. The men’s teams for the FIBA World Cup are typically not as stacked as the teams that represent the USA at the Olympics. Still, this squad boasts few All-Stars and is considerably thinner than many we have seen.

With the recent withdrawal of D’Aaron Fox, the 13 players striving to make this final cut are (per NBA.com): Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).

The only All-Star names on the roster are Walker, Lopez, and Middleton, which may be considered by many to be “lesser” All-Stars at that. They even dropped a scrimmage to a squad made up primarily of G-League players.

Don’t get us wrong, this squad (minus one player TBD) is likely still going to enter the tournament in China as the favorites to win. Much of the team is made up of the Boston Celtics young core. Wing athleticism alone will give this group an edge over their competition in the form of Tatum, Kuzma, Mitchell, and Brown. Floor-stretchers Lopez, Harris, Walker, and Middleton will keep plenty of open lanes for them.

A few dedicated defenders will also help make up for weak points in the form of Smart outside and Turner inside. It will be a fun team to watch, if not who you may have been hoping for.

Some big names were thrown in the hat for this squad early such as James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and quite a few more. Why more household-name players have opted out is a bit perplexing. Fatigue from a long NBA season is likely a big cause - especially since many of the top players also experience lengthy playoff runs.

This will be a tremendous opportunity for the players involved (especially for the Celtics, since their starting lineup is essentially on the squad). They will get to practice against great caliber talent, travel, and have many unique and memorable experiences in China.

The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup will begin on Saturday, August 31

We will be tracking this team through the FIBA World Cup, so keep checking back here as always for updates!

Social media: Unplug when you're on the court

One of the oddest takeaways from these past NBA Playoffs was a player on the bench looking at his cell phone.

In the very first game of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, there was a strange moment in which the camera captured Joel Embiid and Amir Johnson looking down at Johnson’s cell phone. This didn’t happen pre or post-game, or even in the locker room. This occurred on the bench during the game with their 76ers squad trailing the lower-ranked Nets.

Amir Johnson was listed as “inactive” for the game. Embiid was “doubtful” to play, but still showed up and had some decent numbers despite poor shooting. Whether he was active or not, Johnson violated the NBA Operations Manual for “Use of Technology”. After the game, Joel Embiid stated that he looked at Johnson’s phone because his daughter was extremely sick. That makes the situation more understandable, but Johnson clearly didn’t alert the team, which fined him for having his phone after the incident.

No matter the circumstances, this incident served as a good reminder for our athletes that cell phones have no business around a basketball court. During workouts, practices, or games, attention needs to be on the task at hand. There may be instances that a phone is necessary to have a link for important things happening off the court. In those situations, coaches or trainers should be made aware of the necessity.

In the age of social media and tech, phones and other devices are ubiquitous. They have become an unavoidable part of society. That said, there must still be boundaries and a basketball court is certainly one of those.

It is okay to be plugged in, but not at the expense of a team or moments that demand full attention.

Stay tuned for more tips from The Basketball Movement as well as news from local hoops through the pro level - after your workout of course.

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019 announced

Coming back again, we present The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp 2019 for high school boys.

Part camp, part tournament, part showcase, The Basketball Movement Invitational brings in impressive talent to give elite players an opportunity to be around other top-tier athletes. Iron sharpens iron, and the contests were plenty hot last year. This year should prove to be more of the same and then some, as we focus heavily on game situations and ferocious competition.

Despite the emphasis on head-to-head growth opportunities, The Basketball Movement will naturally still be serving up its patented brand of skill development, maintenance, and enhancement. It is always a good time to brush up on the fundamentals of the game, but also to refine some of the finer skills for these athletes.

Our coaches have worked with all levels of players up through the NBA and can pinpoint exactly what it takes to get you to the next court in your career. If former pro and expert motivational speaker, Rob Yanders can’t light a fire under you to step it up, this level of play may not be for you.

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019 is slated for October 4th-6th.

Don’t worry if you haven’t heard from us yet; the invite list will be rolling out soon. If time passes and you believe that you have been left out, shoot us an email at basketballmovement@yahoo.com and we will let you know if you have a spot at our camp.

Make sure you are following The Basketball Movement on your preferred social media platform as we roll out more details, media from last year’s Invitational, and more basketball goodness. We hope to see you in September!

One-on-One: Indiana Pacers Alize Johnson

Having Alize Johnson in the building for his camp, we got the chance to sit down and chat with the rising NBA talent.

Originally from Williamsport, PA, we are fortunate that Alize Johnson has multiple communities that feel like home. One of the most decorated players in school history, Johnson was a force playing basketball at Missouri State during his college career. Springfield, MO must have made a positive impression on Alize as well, as he said it is very nice to be back for his camp.

“There was so much support while I was here,” says Johnson. “I love coming back here because this is a place where I feel so much support and I can surround myself with people that truly want to see me succeed.”

The Basketball Movement-hosted basketball camp put on by Alize was a big success. Johnson put on a similar camp in his hometown in Pennsylvania just a few days prior. When asked about his favorite part about putting on these camps, he had plenty to say.

“These camps elate me. I like to see the kids grow - see them smile. In return, it pushes me to go harder because I feel like I have them looking up to me. It gives me a voice. NBA players love doing things like this because it is building off of what we have been able to accomplish.”
— Alize Johnson

Not a stranger to The Basketball Movement or working with its Founder, Rob Yanders, we were honored to play host to Alize’s camp this summer. The facility and coaches are designed around the high-intensity style that is needed for the older kids as well as fundamentals and fun-oriented feel for the younger ones.

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Johnson commented on how far the facility had come since he first started coming here and how proud he is of his friend and mentor, Rob Yanders. “Pretty much the only thing left he could add is like, hotel rooms for the players that come out here,” Alize joked. “To see where this place is right now - it’s amazing.” (Note/Plug: The Basketball Movement does offer shuttle service for those interested in extended pro workouts!! End plug)

“Rob’s a great guy. He genuinely knows what he’s doing and exactly what he’s talking about. He has been a great mentor for me because of his experience and that he doesn’t sugar coat anything; he tells it like it is. I’m really proud of what he’s doing with these kids too.”
— Alize on Robert Yanders

While putting on the camp here, Alize seemed to form a bond also with Rob’s nephew and The Basketball Movement and Yanders Law standout, Anton Brookshire. Anton isn’t one to boast, so Johnson lent a hand in giving the young player some props on social media. Alize said how humble he was is part of why he was so impressed by Brookshire.

“He’s humble - not trying to be big time. He already knows who he is and operates within himself. Honestly, he reminds me of myself in some ways… He has what it takes to be a pro,” Alize said of Brookshire.

Upcoming season

With a newly guaranteed contract, Alize Johnson is primed for another exciting pro season. The contract is now guaranteed because of what he was able to show the Indiana Pacers organization recently at the NBA Summer League. His scoring, and possibly more importantly, tenacious rebounding made him one of the Pacers’ most valuable summer players.

“(Rebounding) comes naturally to me - I love to do it. I still have the will for it too, of course, it helps me keep playing and making a living,” said Johnson.

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Whether he spends the majority of his time with the Pacers or their G-League affiliate this season is still naturally a bit up in the air, though his summer showing is a great start. He says that all he can do is keep preparing as much as possible and be ready when his number is called. “I’ll just handle all the little things and everything should fall into place,” he said.

Now with these camps under his belt, Johnson will just be working out and hanging with friends until it’s time to get back at it. He says that he will report back on August 8th. We of course wish him the very best this upcoming season and want to thank him once again for teaming up with The Basketball Movement this summer to stay involved with the community in Southwest Missouri.

Good luck, Alize and see you soon!

Around the NBA: Where is everybody?

It seems the dust has finally settled on another wild NBA free agency season, so let’s make sure you know where everyone is.

The happenings around the NBA have been coming in hot since the Finals ended - the draft, trades, free agency, and so on. If we posted an “Around the NBA” article every time something happened, this would essentially just turn into an NBA page and nothing else. Now that the biggest pieces are in place, we are going to catch you up on where players will be suiting up next season.

We’ll start with NBA All-Stars; there have been a bunch on the move this summer. Kyrie Irving left the Boston Celtics to go to the Brooklyn Nets via free agency. The Celtics did not have a point guard vacancy for long though, because they signed another All-Star, Kemba Walker, formerly of the Charlotte Hornets.

Irving will be joined in Brooklyn by Kevin Durant. KD will likely miss at least the majority of the upcoming season with his achilles injury from the Finals. Making the opposite move of Durant, DeAngelo Russell is departing the Nets to join the Golden State Warriors. Russell will be a nice way to fill the scoring void left by the departed Durant and injured Klay Thompson.

The OKC Thunder loaded up on future draft picks this summer by trading Paul George to the LA Clippers and Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. Oklahoma City received former All-Star Chris Paul in the deal as well, though they are officially in rebuilding mode. Joining George on the Clippers is reigning Finals MVP, free agent, Kawhi Leonard.

Anthony Davis is finally moving on from the Pelicans by joining LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers did have to trade away much of their young core to New Orleans, making an interesting crew around their prized number one draft pick, Zion Williamson.

A few former All-Stars: Jimmy Butler was traded by the 76ers to the Miami Heat. Free-agent, Al Horford left the Boston Celtics to go to Philly, where he will likely take Butler’s old starting role. DeMarcus Cousins didn’t get his ring in Golden State, so he is headed to the Lakers on his quest; he will look to have a bounce-back season after an injury-plagued year. Goran Dragic is leaving the Heat to join fellow Slovenian, Luka Doncic in Dallas.

There are many free agents still out there waiting, but the big names are off the board. Many of these moves bring parity to the league, loosening Golden State’s previous stranglehold on the odds of winning it all. It will be an exciting season with many old faces in new places.

To continue keeping up with what is happening around the NBA, make sure you are following us on Twitter and keep checking back here!